Food Glories food, and the stories that come with them.

While growing up I could definitely say that my relationship with food was beyond unhealthy. Never understanding why I had to eat for me to stay alive if the food is just going to make me feel fat and blotted. In most circles food is seen as a way to fatten you, not nourishment for your body and soul. We often neglect that even when cooking we have to make sure that our food have all the nutritional value once it gets on our plates, we often throw out all that goodness with water when cooking, e.g. when cooking spinach the first thing you throw out is the water that you have been “boiling” the spinach in, yes I said boiling.

I later then discovered that the only way  I could actually start developing genuine love for food is if I could learn how to cook it without ruining it. I then decided that I would attend Pro arte, where my study field would then be in the art of food. My first day I was eager to learn and discover a new way of cooking, but I all I had heard was how the French had been pioneers in the hospitality industry, but all I thought was, those people made Foie gras, but yes all those years spent learning about different treatment of food had opened up my eyes to a whole new world. Food was never the enemy, the way of cooking it was.

Coming to the realisation that once again there are trends and rules about what to eat when to eat it and how. Has assisted me in my food preparation. Below is a quick easy recipe that that I use when trying to make a delicious meal in under 45 minutes.

Smokey sweet chicken and summer salad

Yield: 2-4 portions

Prep time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20-45minutes

Pre heat oven at 180 degrees

Ingredients

·         4 Chicken drums, breast or thighs

·         1 cup Sticky bbq sauce of your liking

·         1tsb paprika

·         Pinch of salt and black pepper

·         French loaf

·         2tsb Garlic

·         200g butter melted

·         2tsbParsley

·         7 baby marows

·         1 carrot

·         1 beetroot

·         Handful Watercress

·         Handful baby spinach

·         Half head butter lettuce

·         2 disks of feta

·         Olive oil

Instructions

1.       Rinse chicken, place in large mixing bowl and add the paprika, salt and pepper rub in and pour in the bbq sauce, let it marinate while preparing bread.

2.       Slice French bread with two finger width and place on a baking tray that has been lined with foil.

3.       Mix the butter, parsley and garlic and using a brush bate the bread with the butter mixture place in oven 5 minutes to bake.

4.       In large mixing bowels slice the baby marrow in to large ribbons , cut carrots and beetroot into spirals, cut feta into cubes and  lettuce into bite size, and mix well, drizzle olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper.

5.       After removing the bread place chicken into oven and cook with 5 minute intervals while basting the chicken continuously.

6.       Remove and plate.

Smokey sweet chicken and summer salad